


Pink Ribbons

by Blackwidow73



Category: Bob's Burgers (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-09
Updated: 2016-04-07
Packaged: 2018-05-25 16:20:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6202372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackwidow73/pseuds/Blackwidow73
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After finding out that he's ill, Jimmy sets out to have one last family gathering to try and say goodbye.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. News

Chapter 1: News

It was the first time he had ever really looked at the trees and saw something more than just simple sticks and leaves. He saw vibrant colors and patterns on the leaves. He noticed the small nests and bug homes hidden throughout the branches. There was a sort of beauty to the whole thing. 

Along with the beauty however came a reminder of mortality, the trees perishing for the oncoming winter. Never before had death looked so captivating, so graceful. What a cruel deception. 

For the first time in years, Jimmy had felt his own mortality and his demise was not going to be nearly as peaceful. It would be slow, and it would be painful. His children would have to watch as he went from a dignified business owner to a decrepit old man who could barely take care of himself. 

Stage three cancer. That would be the disease to take him. There were options, but none of them seemed to have that great of an outlook. He was a single father, there were kids to worry about. He wasn’t about to make them suffer so that he could drag out his death for another year. Besides, there was the cost. He wanted money to leave behind and no debt handed to anyone else. 

Deep down, he preferred the quiet dignity that came without taking the treatment. He would be more than some dead weight that had to have vomit and feces cleaned off of him. He would simply just die. Weaker and fragile still, but less of a mess and a burden. 

Sitting on the park bench, he sighed. The news had yet to fully hit him. All he had been doing since he had left the office was think about it, replaying the scene over and over again in his mind, hearing his doctor tell him about the results, and yet it still didn’t feel real. He knew that he was dying and he knew what he was going to have to face, but emotionally, it didn’t mean anything. Death didn’t feel any closer to him than it had this morning when he had awoken. 

Perhaps it was because nothing had changed around him. People were still out running their errands, children were still out playing in the streets, he would return home and he would still have to prepare food and take orders and count the till for the night. Bills had to be paid and the kids had to fed. The world continued on as it had been. 

Sighing, he decided it was time to head back to the restaurant and get things ready for dinner. He would have to pretend that nothing was wrong for the next few hours, which was turning out to be easier than he thought. Then that night, he would sit the kids down and tell them what was happening. 

The sooner they knew, the better. He could take a little time off of work, pull them out of school for a bit and work on his bucket list. They could all just be together, go on a trip or two. And he wanted to make sure to do it as soon as possible so that he would still have the energy to enjoy it. 

Jimmy wasn’t big on regrets and going over incidents in his head, trying to figure out what he could have done differently. All he really wanted now was to spend time with his kids. 

There was one thing that he did regret though, and that was losing contact with someone, a very special someone. He wasn’t quite sure of where she lived anymore or what she was up to. The last time that he had seen her she was getting ready for some sort of recital. That was all he could really remember, and that was the worst part of it all. He couldn’t remember much about her. He had abandoned her so long ago that he didn’t know any of the important things anymore. She could be married, have kids, and he would have no idea. 

It wasn’t that they had been fighting or anything like that. They just lost contact. In a sense, that was worse than a fight. It came off as a lack of caring. In reality it was simply that he became too busy. He got married, started a restaurant, had kids, got divorced. By the time that things had settled down, he didn’t know if it was worth it anymore. So much time had gone by that she probably didn’t care to talk to him anymore. 

Now though, they had to talk. Maybe she wouldn’t get anything from it, but he himself needed this. There wasn’t enough time left anymore to not be selfish about certain things. This was all he had and he wanted to make sure to complete most of his bucket list. 

He got to his feet and took one last glance around the place. He recalled the words of Warren Zevon, his advice that he gave shortly before his death. “Enjoy every sandwich”. 

It sounded laughable at first. Now, he fully understood it. And he was going to take that advice now. He was going to make sure to take in every moment and enjoy it. This view for example, and then maybe some random conversation he would have with Trev today. Just random little things. All the things that he wasn’t sure he was ready to let go of just yet. 

Crossing the park, he shoved his hands into his pockets. It was going to be a long day, one of the longest of his life. And now he would have to try and track down this woman in his spare time without everyone noticing what he was doing. 

The entire time that he was walking, he was hoping that the distance would take longer to travel. He wanted something to stop him and prolong his family’s ignorance. 

“Great,” he muttered under his breath as soon as the restaurant was in clear sight. 

As he walked down the sidewalk, he could see Bob outside of his place. Most times he would pay attention to whatever it was that he was doing and mock him for it. Today though, he was barely able to even force himself to pay enough attention to make it home without getting hit while crossing the street. 

“Hey, Pesto!” Bob called out. 

Jimmy ignored the voice and continued into his place. It didn’t matter what Bob was saying, it didn’t matter what petty contest he could have been participating in. All the sudden there were a lot of things that just did not matter anymore. They were seen more as a nuisance now, getting in the way of things that had to be done, things he wanted to accomplish. 

“Welcome! What can I get for you?” He enthusiastically asked a customer, after dropping his coat at the bar.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Vera 

It was after dinner when he sat down his three sons and decided to tell them everything. They sat down on the couch, Jimmy Jr. between the twins so that they might actually listen, although he noticed that they were simply leaning back and talking to each other, giving each other notes. It was something small that he never gave much thought, but now he found it rather amusing.

“Alright, what I’ve got to say isn’t easy,” he started, instantly kicking himself for not beginning on a more gentle note. Then again, it wasn’t as though the delivery of the message would actually change anything, it was still the same news either way.

“Is it onomatopoeia?” Ollie asked.

“Because we learned that word yesterday and it took a while to be able to say it,” Andy explained.

“No,” he snapped, not wanting to have to sit through this all night. All he wanted was to get this over with as soon as possible. “I mean I have some bad news.”

“What is it?” Jimmy Jr. questioned.

“Are we moving!?” Andy asked.

“No!” He answered, speaking before the other twin had a chance to speak. “I just…”

It was harder than he thought it would be, telling them what it was that he had learned today. Still, it had to be done. All these little interruptions were his fault. He had a few chances to simply just state what was happening and he didn’t. Instead he allowed them to speak, to try and get them off topic.

Sighing, he took a seat on the coffee table and began massaging his temples. This shouldn’t have been as hard as he was making it.

“I have cancer,” he flatly stated.

The one who caught on right away was Jimmy Jr. He sat there, staring, not knowing how to react. It was such a simple statement for the weight that it truly carried. He knew very well that their father wouldn’t be telling them this if it wasn’t bad. Not to say cancer could ever be taken lightly, it was just that if Jimmy thought he had a chance, he knew that he would try to go without mentioning it to them.  

The twins on the other hand each looked to their older brother for some explanation. They knew that cancer was bad, but they didn’t know how bad. They had no idea that that meant they could be losing their father. They had no idea what the treatment was like and what they might have to watch Jimmy endure. 

“What does that mean?:” Jimmy Jr. finally inquired.

Jimmy looked to him with sympathy. “It means that I don’t have that much time left,” he bluntly stated. He wished that there had been a more delicate way to put it, but there wasn’t.

“Time for what?” Ollie asked.

“Filing your taxes?” Andy asked.

In a way, Jimmy Jr. envied their naivety and obliviousness to the whole thing. he wished that he himself had no real knowledge of the situation, that he could go on not having to worry about what to expect. At the same time, it was aggravating. They were forcing this man to actually tell them what he couldn’t stand to hear at the moment.

Maybe Jimmy Jr. and his father didn’t always get along. And maybe there were some times in which he felt slightly pushed aside for the restaurant. None of that changed the fact that this was his father, the one that took him to dance recitals and lessons, the one that gave him advice whenever he needed it. Now who was going to help him get through high school and come see his shows when he finally made it?

“He means that he’s dying!” Jimmy Jr. snapped a little more harshly than intended.

Jimmy sat there, watching as his son whose face was turning beet red and clenching his fists, got up and stormed out of the room. The slam of his bedroom door caused him to slightly jump. He wondered if he should chase after him or simply allow him the time alone to process everything and cool off a bit.

“Daddy?” Andy asked, getting ready to cry with his brother not far behind.

Jimmy sighed, turning his attention back to them, an overwhelming guilt suddenly filling him. “I’m sorry,” was all he could say.

Both of them practically jumped on him as they wrapped their arms around him. It was weird how he would find this annoying at times. They would cling onto him while he was trying to do something or they would be slowing him down. Now though, he didn’t mind. He didn’t mind that one of them was crushing his neck and that one of their knees was in his ribcage.

As uncomfortable as it was, he didn’t want to let go, and that was something that surprised him. He was suddenly more clingy as if holding on would actually keep him here longer. 

Oooooo

Vera stepped into her studio apartment in New York. It was small, but she lived alone and was barely ever home so it was enough. She set her duffle bag down in front of the door and climbed up to sit on the counter as she began to go through her mail.

She was about to reach over and grab an apple, but paused as she shuffled through the envelopes, one address catching her attention.

          Jimmy Pesto  
          113 Ocean Ave.   
          Seymor’s Bay, NJ 

She knew that name. Well, she knew Jimmy Poplopavich, but she was well aware that they were the same person. Immediately, she set aside everything else and quickly tore open the envelope.

_ Vera, _

_ I don’t know what to say. I suck at writing letters. It’s not something I do. The only reason I did this was because it felt easier than calling. I do hope that you call me once you get this, my number’s 848 555 4077. It’s up to you. _

_ I wanted to tell you I found out that I have cancer. I have some time left. I thought maybe you could come over for Thanksgiving. You don’t have to feel obligated, I would understand if you didn’t. I want you there though. You can meet your half brothers, Jimmy Jr., Andy, and Ollie. They don’t know about you yet. _

_ I can even have your mother over to talk if you want. I haven’t really spoken to her about this yet so I can’t promise anything. We both married different people, we both have kids. It could be awkward. I’m not married anymore, but she is. _

_ I hope you’re doing good. I hope your dancing is going well. Jimmy Jr. seems to want to go in that direction too. _

_ Jimmy _

Vera sighed, not really knowing how to react to the letter. It had been years since she had heard anything for her father. It was her mother that she had been communicating with all this time. Every year she managed to send her a small Christmas card. It was nothing too much, just wishing her luck and telling her that she’s living the dream she used to have when she was younger. She would mention how proud she was of her and whatnot, but she never really said too much about herself.

There were letters whenever there were big events, she remembered hearing about her getting married and when her kids were born. Whenever she mentioned anyone in her family though, she made sure to add in that it would be nice if we could all get together.

Her family though, must not have known about her. She knew that the address she was using wasn’t really her’s. It was that of one of her friend’s. In a small way, that hurt, but she also understood it. And at least she was making the effort to stay in contact with her.

Jimmy never did that. The only reason that she knew a little about him was because of her mother. It wasn’t as though she were bitter about that. He didn’t owe her anything. Her parents were amazing, they provided her with everything she needed and she loved them dearly. They were her true mom and dad. Her relationship with her birth mother was a bonus, it was like having a big sister that she could tell everything too.

It would have been great to have some sort of relationship with her birth father. It just felt unfair to her that he only reached out when he was dying. It was kind of like a slap in the face to her. She would still go, but it just didn’t seem fair. She just wanted to have this chance to really meet everyone in person.

Setting the letter down beside her, she hopped off the counter and headed to her bag where she retrieved her phone. It was hard and she was hesitant, but she was able to to convince herself to go back and look up the number and eventually dial it.

“Jimmy Pesto?” She asked.

Oooooo

Jimmy stood behind the counter of his bar, staring across the street to his… enemy? Was that what Bob was? He wasn’t a huge threat to him. It was just fun to see him fail. Everyone else in the family was fine. He actually really didn’t have much of an opinion on the kids, the one he knew the best was Tina, since her and his son would hang out sometimes. He would hear Louise and Gene’s names mentioned here and there. He got along with Linda. Sure she would take Bob’s side in everything, which was to be expected, but when he and Bob weren’t fighting over something, he and Linda could talk.

If anything, there was always a part of him that was jealous of Bob. Sure his business was failing and he was living proof of Murphy’s Law, but he was a lot closer to his family. He had a loyal wife, kids that actually got along with him. It was something that he knew he could never really have.

Now though, he needed to ask a huge favor of that man that he constantly belittled. It was an enormous jump for him, and not something that he would ever really do in a million years, but today was different. He was desperate.

He finally took off his apron, stuffing it onto a shelf underneath the counter. “Watch the place for a minute, Trev!” He called out.

He didn’t really wait for a response, but he was almost sure that he received one. If he hadn’t, well then it didn’t really matter. It wasn’t like Trev was just going to up and leave the place.

As he walked across the street, he had to make sure to remain somewhat confident. He had to walk in there like nothing was wrong. He also had to make sure to bite his tongue though. This was a favor he was asking, he wasn’t going to go mock him, there was something to be gained from behaving.

“What do you want, Jimmy?” Bob asked, already annoyed as he stood behind the counter.

He stopped right by the door. It took all of the restraint he had in order to proceed without making some snide remark about the lack of customers.

“I actually needed to ask you if you would cook Thanksgiving dinner for me and my family,” he blurted out, hoping to get through this as soon as possible. In hindsight, small talk might have helped him here, but he wasn’t sure he could get through all of that without making a joke.

Bob just stared to him, trying to figure out whether or not he had heard him correctly. This man, the very one that taunted him day after day, to make him a tiny bit miserable with each encounter, was standing here asking for such a favor.

“What? The owner of the ever popular restaurant can’t cook dinner?” Bob quipped.

Jimmy was about to come back with an insult, shove it in his face that his place was packed. He stopped himself however, remembering that he had something he needed.

“I need to make sure that everything’s perfect. My daughter’s coming into town. And you seem to be good with family stuff like that,” he awkwardly stated, not sure of the exact way to phrase what he wanted.

“It’s dinner, Jimmy. All you have to do is cook it,” he harshly replied. Bob didn’t think that at all, to him it was an art, but he just really wanted to get Jimmy out of here.

Linda stepped out from the kitchen and went to join them. She had heard little bits and pieces of the exchange, basically just that Jimmy’s daughter was going to be joining them this year, which piqued her interest.

“What’re you two arguing about now?” She asked. 

Jimmy sighed, seeing that there was no other way to convince Bob. He was sure that if he told Linda about the cancer that she could get Bob to agree to be in charge of the dinner.

“Can I trust you two with a secret?” He asked, checking that they were alone before he leaned in onto the counter.

Bob stayed back while Linda followed Jimmy’s lead. “What is it?” She questioned, almost excited by the thought of being included on a secret.

“I just found out that I might not be alive this time next year, and I want to have one last dinner with my family. The problem is that I don’t want to waste the entire day in the kitchen and not really get to see everyone,” he explained.

“Oh my God,” Linda gasped, her hands covering her mouth as she stood back up.

Bob just watched him for a moment, his expression softening. Jimmy was never someone that he cared for, but this was something that he wouldn’t wish upon anyone.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know. How much longer do you have?” Bob inquired.

“Right! And no one else can know yet! You hear me!?” He sternly responded. Standing back up, he looked out the window to his place. “And uh, just under a year. I just want to make sure I do this while I’m still able to enjoy it.”

Bob sighed. He hated that he was about to agree, but with the new information he would have to be completely heartless to say no. You don’t deny a dying man a wish. Besides, he knew that if he said no, he would never hear the end of it with Linda, or his conscience.

“Just let me know how many people and what you want,” he reluctantly obliged.

Jimmy turned his attention back to Bob, relieved that this was actually happening. “I’m working on an invite list, but it should be about fifteen people,” he nonchalantly answered.

Bob’s eyes widened. “Fifteen?”

“Honey, he’s dying, he wants everyone there,” Linda stated, trying to keep him from freaking out. She also figured that the question could be seen as somewhat offensive and really did not want to get into that right now. 

“I actually got my daughter to agree to come, she’s hoping to be able to meet me and her mother,” Jimmy stated, glancing over to Linda. 

She just stared to him for a moment, trying to figure out exactly what it was that he was doing here. What was the real reason for his visit? And what was he wanting her to do?

“I didn’t know you had a daughter,” Bob stated, genuinely surprised as he took a step closer to the counter.

Jimmy switched his attention over to him from Linda. “Had to give her up. I was only seventeen when she was born, her mom sixteen. We decided we couldn’t get married and neither of us could actually take care of her on our own.”

“Awe, you’re having a little family reunion!” Linda gushed, thinking it was cute that he decided to reach out to the girl and have her over.

Jimmy nodded, liking the enthusiasm he was hearing from Linda. That meant that he at least had one of them on board, and with that, the dinner would go well. And he was glad to see that they would probably be joining in for the actual dinner.

“I’d better get back before Trev loses control of the place,” he mentioned for an excuse to leave. “Thanks for everything!” He called as he walked out the door.

Jimmy stepped out the door, feeling as though a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulder. This could all work out, he could finally have his one last dinner with everyone. He was well aware that he had just put Bob and Linda in a weird position, but he really didn’t care. This was something that he needed. And in a way, it was one last victory over Bob which made it a tiny bit more enjoyable. It wasn’t like he was about to cause any damage, it was just a way of finding something good in a not so good situation.

Oooooo

Vera lay on the couch, mindlessly flipping through the channels as she searched for something to take her mind off of the current situation. Earlier on the phone she had agreed to go out and see her birth parents. It didn’t sound so bad at first, but the more that she thought about it, the worse it was beginning to seem.

They both had families that they would be accompanying them. She was sure that neither of these families actually knew of her. Her father was dying, which meant that dinner was going to be awkward. A lot of people would be upset and they would be discussing events that she wasn’t present for and whatnot. It was going to be as if she were watching some movie where she couldn’t truly connect to the characters, and she walked into the theater halfway through it.

On top of that, she still had yet to tell her actual parents that she wouldn’t be coming to dinner. That was going to be the hard part. Her family always threw a huge party for every holiday. Everyone would gather at her mom’s house and they would all stay there. Her dad would set off fireworks, they would go out to dinner together their first night there and argue about who would pay the bill, and then the second day would be the holiday they were spending together. It was a huge deal. They were going to pretty upset. The only time it would be acceptable is if she were going to her fiancee’s parents, but this was quite a bit different.

Giving up on her search, she tossed the remote onto the coffee table and headed over to the closet by the door. Upon entering it, she turned on the light and searched through the small space for the shoebox that she had tucked away in the corner.

She retrieved it and sat down on the ground, her back against the opposite wall as she removed the lid and began digging through the cards, letters, and pictures. There was something in particular that she was searching for, one letter that she had received when she had graduated high school, it was from her birth mother.

It was small, but it had meant a lot to her at the time, and still meant a lot now. Her parents knew that she had been keeping in contact with her birth mother. They actually encouraged it, telling her that this was some sort of opportunity for her to ask any questions she had and what not. They told her that she could invite her to her graduation if she really wanted to. Of course, she had to decline, but she loved the letter that she had gotten.

Once she found it, a smile touched her lips. She unfolded the paper and sighed as she reread it.

_ Vera, _

_ Hey sweetie! I am so proud of you. We have met, I know you don’t remember, it was a few times when you were just a little baby. I just wish that I could have continued to visit you. _

_ I wish that I could come to see you graduate. I’m pregnant again and my doctor doesn’t want me traveling at all. I’m actually due around the same day, just a week later. I want pictures though. Seriously, I want pictures. And I want to still meet up with you. Maybe the end of summer? I’m sorry, things are sort of crazy around here. _

_ I’m sure things are crazy there for you too, right? Getting ready for your party and everything. Maybe I can be there for your next big party! Like your twenty first! _

_ So I did gather a couple of things to give you. I tried knitting you a blanket, it’s something I’m trying to learn. I think this came out pretty good. Better than the others. And my ballet slippers, pointe. This pair is one of the newer ones I saved. I know you’re going into dancing and I just wanted to share something with you that you might appreciate. _

_ I know we haven’t spoken much. I do want to see you, even if it doesn’t seem like that all the time. I have babies over here that need constant attention. Really, you should see Gene, he puts anything and everything in his mouth. It’s scary. I also have a business to help run with my husband. _

_ Thank you for keeping in contact with me, and please know that if you ever are in town, you are welcome to stop by. Any time. _

_ Love,  
_ _ Linda _

She still had those worn once shoes and the slightly disfigured blanket. She still slept with that blanket and the shoes hung on the headboard of her bed. It was a weird relationship. They both wanted to get to know each other, but she always sensed that to Linda, she was this dirty little secret. No one actually knew about her, and that was how she wanted it.

At the same time, she was always requesting pictures and sending little things whenever she could. She even gave her her phone number and they’ve called each other a couple of times. They just haven’t met up and seen each other in person.

Most of all though, she figured that maybe Linda was scared, and she couldn’t blame her, she was scared too. Not of each other, but of disrupting each other’s lives. Both Linda and Jimmy each had families and businesses and this and that. While she herself was busy doing small shows here and there and working in a coffee shop, just waiting for her big break. She may never get it, but she could still hope. Either way, they had all gone their separate ways when she was adopted.

Vera had known for a while now why she was given up. Linda was only sixteen, Jimmy was getting ready to go off on his own and start his life. Neither of them had any money, and Jimmy refused to marry her. Linda never specifically told her that he wouldn’t marry her, but that was what she got out of the story.

That was something else that scared her, Jimmy. He hadn’t made all the effort to keep in contact. She had seen him in person once, but he didn’t seem to want to talk at all. It was years ago when one of his sons was in a dance recital at a festival. They had every age group there performing and she was there with her college sophomore ballet class. She didn’t see his son, but she assumed that he was pretty young. She knew that she heard the name announced.

Now, she was going to have to face that fear and finally talk to him. It still stung that it took him facing death for him to show any real interest in her, but she supposed that it was better than nothing.


End file.
